“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” – Proverbs 30:5
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:20
As a child, I often felt like I was standing on shifting sand. Almost daily my mom would find ways to keep me guessing and questioning myself. I would look outside to decide what to wear to school (long before weather apps), only for my mom to tell me I was completely wrong. If I dressed for heat, she’d insist I needed a jacket. If I wore a jacket, she’d say I’d be too warm.
Sometimes she was right—but often it felt like a game that left me off balance, unsure of what was true. My mother-in-law once asked me why I got into arguments about trivial things with my mom. My response to her was it didn’t matter the topic, if I said the sky was blue my mom would say it was pink.
That constant contradiction shaped me more than I realized. Without a foundation of truth in my early relationships, I struggled to trust there was a truth. As an adult my husband would tease me about being a “woulda, coulda, shoulda” person. The truth and trust never seemed to be within my grasp.
While there certainly are areas where black and white aren’t our only choices, as a Christian we can look to God’s Word for that firm foundation of truth we so desperately need in our lives. Without it we get tossed about on our little life rafts by waves of messages and opinions that come at us from all sides.
“I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” – Isaiah 45:19
An alarming number of Americans want to pretend we don’t need this stability in our lives. The Truth has become My Truth. Truth becomes relative to the situation or need or feeling. For example, it’s “wrong” to kill an 8 year-old child but “ok “to kill an eight-month old baby in the womb. Simply because “my truth” means “my comfort.”
According to a Gallup Poll done in 2022, only 20% of Americans now say the Bible is the literal word of God. Meanwhile, a new high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of “fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.
I would venture to say that in the 80% that don’t believe the Bible to be the literal Word of God there are quite a few professed Christians counted among them. I know, I’ve met some of them. The truth of God’s Word is manipulated and conformed to affirm whatever sin plays out in the person’s life. The lie becomes a useful pattern to feed our flesh over and over.
But God being the Creator, Sustainer and Perfecter of all that we know is the God of truth. His truth is the foundation from which we can draw on daily. His truth is what brings us into righteousness. When faced with difficult choices, difficult people, tragic circumstances or devasting news, His Word anchors us and directs our steps.
The acceptance and knowledge of God’s truthfulness strengthens the suffering and persecuted saints worldwide. It’s what has given me courage to stand for what is eternally right and to turn from what is evil in the eyes of the Lord. It’s not Kris’ truth I seek, but God’s. His truth may make me uncomfortable and cause me consternation. But I want to stand on something that has weightiness, not something gauzy and flimsy. A truth that has been the truth since the beginning of time.
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.” – Psalms 145:13
God’s truthfulness means we have a glorious future awaiting us no matter what we face here in this place. We can live without fear or dread of the “someday.” When Pastor and author Tim Keller and his wife faced his terminal cancer diagnosis he had to decide if he really believed God was truthful in His Word.
“If Jesus Christ was actually raised from the dead, then you know what? Everything is going to be all right. Whatever you’re worried about right now—whatever you’re afraid of—everything is actually going to be okay. . . . If Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, then the whole world is going to be, in a sense, resurrected. . . .
Kathy and I cried a lot together last night. Sometimes the reality of the shortness of what we have left just overwhelms us. . . . [But] if Jesus Christ was raised from the dead—and he was—you’re going to be okay.” Tim Keller
Friends, I realize it’s hard living in this time of “my truth.” It comes at us from our friends, family, the media and our enemies. At times it comes from the church. We need to step back just like Pastor Keller and ask ourselves if we truly believe the Word of God. Then we need to go back to Him for the Truth. And share it courageously with anyone who will listen.
Our God is faithful and true. At times the promises He has made seem so far off and unbelievable. But Scripture—especially the words of the prophets—reveals both present truth and what is still to come.
It’s an undisputed truth that Jesus was a real person. He died for our sins. He said He came as God. He warned us of falling for lies and false teaching and having our heads turned from the Truth.
Let us be among His sheep who stay close to our truthful Shepherd. The One in whom we can trust all things.
I want to leave you today with this quote by Dr. Jeff Myers, President of Summit.org and the author of the book Truth Changes Everything: How People of Faith Can Transform the World in Times of Crisis. His comment is on a survey done in 2022.
“The number of Americans who say there is no absolute truth is alarmingly high. But among young adults, we have now officially passed the tipping point. The majority of youth now say that each person determines their own version of truth. The loss of truth has grave consequences for community, justice, a sense of purpose, and mental health. I’m not aware of any civilization that has abandoned reality to this extent and survived. The good news is that Americans still hold out hope that each person can make a difference. If there ever was a time to stand for truth, it is now.”
